Thame prepares for the royal birthday

Her Royal Highness, The Queen – image courtesy of royalgov.uk

THAME’S celebrations for Her Royal Highness, The Queen’s 90th birthday, were up for discussion at tonight’s Thame Town Council meeting and among the suggestions were a street dance in the Upper High Street,  an open air, multi- faith Service with a giant tea party afterwards in either Elms Park or Southern Road Recreation Ground, and the lighting of a beacon on a high point somewhere in the town.

Beacons will be lit on the night of her birthday, April 21, across the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and the United Kingdom Overseas Territories, marking this unique moment in history

Earlier this evening, councillors decided to explore the possibility of purchasing a gas-lit beacon and coloured bunting to decorate the town hall, and will be encouraging businesses and shops in the town to decorate their facades and windows in patriotic red, white and blue around the celebrations. Generally, the councillors want the birthday celebrations to be community-lead but with the council facilitating where it can, with aspects such as road-closures.

A meeting later this week of the Thame Carnival Committee, which includes some councillors, will be considering whether the Carnival on June 11, could be linked in someway to The Queen’s official birthday celebrations (The Queen celebrates two birthdays each year: her actual birthday on April 21, and her official birthday on a Saturday in June).

During that same weekend of June 11-12, National celebrations will include a service of thanksgiving in St Paul’s Cathedral and a massive street party in The Mall, organised by The Queen’s grandson, Peter Phillips, for representatives of all the voluntary sector organisations of which The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are patrons. Councils and parishes all over the country are being encouraged to support their own celebrations, particularly street parties, as happened for The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee three years ago.

Watch this space for more information as Thame’s celebrations for Her Majesty’s birthdays take shape.